CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — Tributes are being paid to a S.C. EMT who was killed in an ambulance crash Tuesday.
Belinda Gale Rivers, 43, of Sandhills Ambulance, died when a tractor trailer hit the ambulance in which she was riding in Monroe, N.C., according to WBTV. She was ejected from the ambulance and pinned beneath it.
“It just couldn’t be real, I just started screaming and hollering, not my baby, not my baby,” said her mother, Linda Owens.
Rivers’ funeral took place Thursday. Her body was driven the 10 miles from the funeral home to the church in an ambulance owned by Sandhills, according to WSOC.
Belinda loved her job and was beloved by patients, Owens told WBTV. Friends described her as dedicated and passionate.
The owner of Sandhills Ambulance, Meg Norton, said she brought in counselors to help her co-workers grieve.
“That’s what we’re dealing with today,” Norton told WBTV. “It’s like okay, this really did happen and she’s not coming back to work with us.”
EMTs from other cities and companies have called to offer help, posted messages on Facebook or sent flowers, Norton said.
“All the people who are saying, ‘What can we do.’ It’s amazing,” she said. “You don’t realize how supportive people can be.”
A passerby covered Rivers’ body with an American flag as a sign of respect for her service, WSOC said.
“I just couldn’t believe it was true, but God has a plan,” Owens said. “His plan is going to be fulfilled.”